Quote Originally Posted by ggggr View Post
Just a little update on this thread.
I stripped the gun and tried to undo the piston washer screw, which didn't want to move . I thought I'd try a plink with the gun but the piston washer tore putting the piston back in the gun. I thought it was starting to get that funny old oil smell. I put some Plus Gas on the inside of the piston after applying bit of heat, then left it overnight.
I asked my neighbour, who has a decent vice, heat/ welding stuff and a lathe to see if he could shift it, and he managed to do it without anything too drastic. However the screw thread was a bit mangled. I tried another screw but it didn't want to go all the way down.
Shining a torch down the piston,I say other threads deeper down. I tried a 2BA screw and that seemed right. I put a 2BA tap down and it went in very easily and then I found a 2BA Pozi screw.
I think someone had tried a tap before and run out of thread and the change of section of the tap had smeared the last few of the proper threads.

Anyhow--a bit back I made some leather washers to try in a Tempest/Hurricane so thought I would try one of them. I had to redo a smaller inner but then the washer seemed a decent fit.
The trigger and sear seemed ok and the gun cocked and held ok, so fingers crossed it doesn't need a cocking shoe just yet. The mainspring looked in good nick as well.
I tried a few shots, then tried the blowing down the barrel thing and it was leaking at the breech seal.
About 11pm on the 23rd, I dug out the old breech seal, which seemed both rotten and compacted, with a small screwdriver and a pick, then fitted another leather one and reusing the bit of brass inner. I had to fiddle about shaving and scraping a bit off it until the barrel would close, then put some lube on it and left it overnight.
The washer is still settling, but it doesn't leak air.
I've tried a few small plinks with it as it has been pretty windy here, and it seems to shoot ok and be pretty accurate. I'll plink with it a bit more when the weather is better.
I'm hoping to get the proper threads in the piston cleaned up, but so long as it shoots ok will probably continue to use the 2BA screw and home made washer.

At least I got it together for Christmas.
That's the 2nd Christmas I somehow seem to have treated myself to a Webley Junior for Christmas.
Well done Guy sounds like the perfect project what with it turning up so close to Xmas. I can think of worse traditions to start than a Webley Junior every year!